







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Don't worry Diego, it's not related to you! | |
| Which website do you use? | |
| No, she is totally fine, thankfully. | |
| But their room is almost double the size of our room! | |
| Do we have a mortar and pestle? | |
| That's why they're 50% off. | |
| I hate taking long flights! | |
| Watch out for the 3rd step, it's not very stable. | |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | |
| Can your mum handle the situation by herself? | |
| There is no table for you, then! | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| Oh hello... I forgot to mention, it's also a very special occasion... | |
| How is it my fault? | |
| My lovely wife always tells me how good your spring rolls are. | |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | |
| Where are you? | |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | |
| Of course, she is an angel, do you want to talk to your mum? | |